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We're not buying it, David
By John Higginson, Metro Last updated at 00:00am on 20.07.06
David Beckham in the Gillette World Cup advert.
Celebrity endorsements by the likes of David Beckham and Jamie Oliver cut little ice with shoppers, research suggests.
Companies hand multi-million-pound deals to famous figures to promote products.
But consumers are more likely to be influenced by the writing on the packaging or friends' recommendations, a study found.
In fact, celebrity endorsements came second from bottom on a list of information by which consumers judge firms and products - ahead of only junk mail.
The report, by the National Consumer Council and research group Account Ability, said: 'Celebrity influences like David Beckham are waning due to an increasingly sceptical public.'
Shoppers make buys using information from several different sources, including websites and weblogs, the poll of 2,000 people found.
Just one in ten people said celebrity endorsements influenced their decisions.
Shoppers wanted companies to be 'fair to me and fair to others', the researchers found.
That meant not only providing quality, service and value for money but also treating staff, suppliers and the environment with respect.
A spokesman for the NCC said: 'If your service fails to have a human touch, you can't persuade consumers you have a concern for human rights.
The most trusted brands were the Co-operative Group, Marks & Spencer and Body Shop. Boots and Virgin were also high on the list.
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